


Okay, May! (Alternatively, You Did Not Want To Be a Dad But Here You Are Loving It)

by catnipcutie (orphan_account)



Category: Original Work
Genre: Canon Non-Binary Character, Childhood, Don't Judge Me, Family, Father's Day, Flower Crowns, Fluff, Gen, Genderqueer, It is nowhere near father's day I just wanted to write this, Mentioned Dead Relatives, No but the dad's name is Vardan trust me, Only Maylis and Gulshan get names, POV Second Person, Parent-Child Relationship, Rhymes are stupid, Single Parents, flower themes, gender neutral parent terms?, i can't write endings, why am I allowed to write?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-08
Updated: 2015-09-08
Packaged: 2018-04-19 17:00:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4754084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/catnipcutie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maylis loves flowers, she got that from you if nothing else. She insists upon wearing a crown of fake flowers in her hair every day. Gulshan bought it for her from some girly store called Blaire's that you've never set foot in in your whole life. It's at times like that that you become glad you don't have to be both Dad and Mom. Dad is good enough.<br/>-<br/>Fatherhood is a strange thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Okay, May! (Alternatively, You Did Not Want To Be a Dad But Here You Are Loving It)

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I am not a father so this will be horribly inaccurate if I had to guess. Please bear with me :3  
> Also I don't own McDonald's or Claire's (or my crappily disguised knockoffs)

You are not the best father in the world, especially considering that you're not a man. You're genderqueer, and if asked by a doctor, would have to grudgingly identify as female. But despite this, you've ended up at a McRonald's with your daughter, celebrating Father's Day.

You hadn't had time to change out of your work clothes, so you unfortunately look and smell like the gardener you are. Maylis doesn't seem to mind. She grins at you over her strawberry milkshake.

"Happy Father's Day!"

She's just recently turned six, and there are gaps in her grin. She's very proud that she can drink out of a straw through clenched teeth. You distantly remember when you did things like that, but now you're twenty-eight and having a child makes your childhood seem so far away.

"Thank you, Maylis," you say, reaching across the table to pat her hand.

You are not one for physical affection, and sometimes you feel bad. You can't help but think that a little girl should grow up pampered and hugged and kissed and you are not the best at doing any of those things. Maylis pats your hand back.

"Guess what?" she blurts suddenly.

"What?"

"Gulshan made me a new dress!"

You don't have to be cuddly, because your daughter's live-in nanny has always been more like a mom. You're afraid that when she starts first grade and full-time school, she'll miss Gulshan more than you.

"Really?" you ask, putting aside your rather selfish worries. "What color?"

Maylis puts her hands on her cheeks and makes a fish face. It's an odd habit she's developed, she makes the face when she's thinking.

"Blue," she reports after a moment, "With purple flowers on the pockets."

Maylis loves flowers, she got that from you if nothing else. She insists upon wearing a crown of fake flowers in her hair every day. Gulshan bought it for her from some girly store called Blaire's that you've never set foot in in your whole life. It's at times like that that you become glad you don't have to be both Dad and Mom. Dad is good enough.

"Will you wear it tomorrow to show me?" you ask her.

She smiles widely.

"Yup!"

When she smiles, she looks like her mother, and you remember how you got this child in the first place. Your sister left her in your care with her dying breath, and that wasn't exactly something you could turn down. Maylis has been with you for five years, and you wonder if she even remembers her mother. The two of you celebrated Mother's day with Gulshan this year, and the two years before that, and Maylis didn't seem to think it strange that she didn't have a mom around because Gulshan was always enough.

"Will you wear a dress too?" Maylis asks.

"No," you say automatically. "I've got work. I can't work in a dress, silly!"

Maylis giggles.

"You'd look weird in a dress, Maddy."

Gulshan came up with the name Maddy as a mix between Mommy and Daddy. You've always thought it was a little funny, but Maylis seems to like it.

"Yeah, you're right," you admit, "I look better in overalls, huh?"

The girl laughs.

"Right! So wear overalls tomorrow and I'll wear my dress! It works like overalls except with a skirt. And it's jeans, so we'll match!"

She's so excited, you can't help but smile.

"Alright, May. Remind me in the morning, okay?"

"Pinky promise?"

You laugh a little and extend your pinky. She hooks hers around it and smiles.

"Pinky promise," you confirm.

She seems satisfied with that and drops the topic, slurping her milkshake loudly through the straw.

"Ugh, Maylis, use the spoon...."

"But I wanna put the straw through my teeth!"

You sigh.

"Fine, fine, use the straw. But you have two minutes, alright?"

"Alright!"

Parent minutes are always shorter than normal minutes, especially when you're in a rush. You remember playing with your sister late into the evenings. After a while, you learned that when your mom said ten minutes until come-in time, she really meant five. You count out sixty seconds.

"Okay, May, time to go."

She laughs.

"Okay, May!" she echoes. "That rhymes!"

She's amused by the strangest things. You smile at her and stand up. She pushes out her chair and jumps to her feet.

"Let's go see Gulshan!" she says.

"I'm sure she's at home," you answer. "She's usually home in the evening."

Maylis smiles.

"Let's go then, Maddy!"

"I'm waiting for you!"

She laughs and takes your hand.

"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" she exclaims cheerfully.

Sometimes being a dad is hard, but you can't imagine things being different.

"Okay, May!"

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
